I'll be Your Hand
by Vhii1217
Summary: Touya Akira's arms and legs were paralyzed because of a car accident. Would Hikaru be his rival's hand, much like the time he played Sai's part? HikaruxAkira friendship, one-shot


First attempt in Hikaru no Go

First attempt in Hikaru no Go. Please don't mind HikaruxAkira, I'm a big fan of them, though in this story they just showed a strong friendship (yeah, not sh-ai. I'm not an anti sh-ai, but I'm not ready yet to write such kind of story). Hope you enjoy, readers!

Disclaimer: How can I own Hikaru no Go? I never even lay a finger on Go equipments, let alone to play it –sigh-. Hikaru no Go is a sole property of Hotta Yumi-sensei and Obata Takeshi-sensei.

_I'll be Your Hand_

The Go Institute was crowded that day. Hikaru stepped inside quite calmly as Waya greeted and poked him on his shoulder.

"Nervous, aren't you?"

Hikaru just smiled at this question. He wasn't nervous, not yet. There was still quarter an hour to be spent coolly before being caught in the heat of battle.

Together, the bleached-haired and the redhead boys walked into the room where they would play in. Poking Hikaru's shoulder once again, Waya headed to his seat. Hikaru too paced slowly to his seat and sat down. Gazing at the empty seat across, Hikaru tightened his fists that rested on his thighs.

_Okay_, he breathed deeply, _I admit I'm getting more nervous as the time passes by. Every game with Touya always kinda wears off my calmness. _Sighing, Hikaru glanced at the big clock in the room. Ten minutes to go.

_I have lost count how many times I've played against Touya so far_, Hikaru was lost in thought. _Never win a single time, how pathetic. Today I must fight with my all, otherwise Sai will not be proud of me._

_Sai…_

_You're the best teacher, a destined key-holder to the gate of my future. I'm blessed to once have you by my side. You're the smartest player, an amazing fighter ever on-fire in the battle. Yet you too are the kindest brother, the most caring soul in entire world._

_Touya, come here already! I'm ready to fight you…_

Five minutes to go… four, three, two, one…

"Please begin."

A monotonous voice was heard throughout the room. Hikaru blinked and woke up from his daydream. His gaze once again fell at the empty seat across.

_Touya?_

"Shindou Hikaru, please follow me," a man appeared beside him. Hikaru frowned as he stood up and follow the man outside. He caught a sight of Waya staring at him. Hikaru gave him a reassuring look and Waya was absorbed back to his game. Hikaru felt an ominous aura in the air. He himself weren't really sure with the condition.

_This feeling… _Hikaru suddenly remembered what this situation was similar with. _When Touya Kouyo was hospitalized…_

"Shindou Hikaru, your opponent isn't able to come today." Hikaru gulped. _What happens now?_

"Touya Akira… got a car accident this morning."

_What?!_

-

"Can't believe that…" Waya shook his head for had-lost-count-what-number-th time. He, Hikaru, Isumi, Honda and Ochi were hanging around together in the institute building.

"Oi, we've been discussing that issue for a whole week already," Ochi pushed his glasses upwards. "Doesn't suit you to worry so much about Touya, Waya."

"Indeed," Waya exhaled. "But still, it's too much surprising the entire Go Institute."

"Is he really in a comma, Shindou?" Isumi asked, a worry was in his voice as well. Hikaru nodded silently.

As soon as he was told about Akira's accident, Hikaru rushed to the hospital only to find that his eternal rival was in a comma. The bleached-banged youth weren't even permitted to see Akira.

"Hey, isn't it _him_?!"

Every head turned into the direction Waya pointed out. There, several feet away from them, were Touya Akira and his mother. The woman was talking seriously with an officer, while her son was listening to the discussion solemnly. The said boy was sitting on a wheelchair.

"I'm going there," Hikaru finally spoke after some silent while that day. Before anyone could say a thing, Hikaru had rushed towards his rival.

"Shindou…" Akira's voice trailed off as he greeted the boy.

"Shindou-kun?" Touya Akiko turned his attention from the officer to Hikaru.

"Touya-san," Hikaru bowed politely to greet the older woman. His eyes met Akira's wondering ones and kept locked for several pretty seconds.

"Shindou-kun, so nice to see you. Has been a week, hasn't it?" Touya Akiko smiled serenely to him. Hikaru broke the eye-contact nodded again. "I feel kinda bad not to inform you that Akira has wakened up."

"That's okay, Touya-san. However, I feel happy that Touya-kun has been better."

"Nah, since you boys have met here, why don't you go to have some fresh air?"

Hikaru caught an impression that the lady didn't want him and Akira around that time. Hikaru stole a glance at where his comrades had once been. They were no longer there.

"Alright, Touya-san."

Hikaru took over the wheelchair and brought the green-haired boy outside.

"Do you feel alright then, Touya?"

The Go prodigy closed his eyes before opening them again and answered stiffly, "I'm fine."

"When did you wake up?"

"Five days ago, I suppose."

Silence.

"How's your games, Shindou?"

"Just fine. Fortunately, all games I played this week ended in victory."

"Oh," Akira paused. "That's good."

An awkward silence. Hikaru had not commented about the wheelchair so far. _It's temporary, ne?_

"Shindou…"

"Touya…"

Their eyes met. Hikaru chuckled a bit.

"You first."

"No, you."

Hikaru inhaled. "Well, I hope you get well soon so we can play our pending game last week."

Akira's eyes widened a bit. "I… actually I…"

Hikaru tilted his head in confusion. It was not like Akira to hesitate of what he was going to say.

Akira steadied his own heart. He didn't know how to bring this issue to the waiting rival who was so longed to play him.

-

_Sai…_

Hikaru's eyes widened at full size. _Sai… It's just like Sai…_

Akira released the air which he didn't know since when be kept in his lungs. "I'm sorry, Shindou."

_Great mind, unlimited potential, yet…_

Hikaru quietly brought Akira back to his mother. It seemed that Akiko had finished her business with the officer.

"Thank you very much, Shindou-kun," Akiko took the handle of her son's wheelchair. Hikaru caught a sight of her sad and exhausted face.

"Can they manage to do it, mom?"

Akiko slowly turned to the sitting Go genius, as if were afraid to meet those sharp emerald eyes. Very snugly, the lady shook her head.

Akira looked down. "As predicted."

"I will try to seek for supports from other important figures. Hopefully they can help."

Akira tried to curve a grateful smile plaintively to his mother. "Yes, hopefully."

-

_I am no longer able to play. My arms and legs are paralyzed. Only my senses that still work. And well, my neck and head. Other than them… my limbs… I'm pretty much like an alive corpse._

Hikaru gazed at the ceiling high above his head. It was already midnight, yet his eyes were still as sharp as to bore the darkness around. He grasped his thick blanket in inscrutable rage.

_Sai… it's just like Sai… Great mind, unlimited potential, yet unable hands…_

"_My mom is trying to persuade the institute to let me play. But as my hands are no longer able to move the Goishi myself, I need another person to do it. That's the impossible point. They won't let it, it will make an impression that there are two people playing, even though I am the one who contemplates all moves…_

_So, please forgive me. Our pending battle seemingly can't happen to commence._

_I'm sorry, Shindou."_

"Sai, what should I do to help him?" Hikaru asked the darkness. _I can't let another great mind to be wasted._

-

"Hey, I heard the institute doesn't permit Touya to play anymore. Is it right, Shindou?"

It was unknown from whom had the news spread, but now the entire building was discussing it.

Hikaru took a deep breath. It seemed like an endless flow of people always tried to pry an exclusive explanation off of him concerning the certain Touya junior. He suspected vaguely that one of his comrades who saw his encounter with Akira thought that Hikaru got first-hand information about Akira's health state. Unfortunately, that someone spilt his thought to the whole institute.

"It hasn't been decided yet," Hikaru hissed in frustrated manner for the umpteenth time. "Besides, I'm afraid I should warn you that I'm not an actual source of information. Go ask the officer or Touya himself to get a better answer."

"Calm yourself, Shindou," Waya grinned in attempt to lighten his scowling friend's mood. He clung to the shodan's arm friendlily. "They always think that as a rival, it's most likely you who have the best answer to their curiosity."

"Where does that logic come from?" Hikaru growled impatiently while allowing himself to be dragged to the canteen and joined Isumi and Honda.

"It's true that you and Touya are seldom together—heck, that guy's closest friends are Ogata-jyuudan and Ashiwara-san—but people have no choice as to where they should go to satiate their curiosity."

"Go ask Ogata-jyuudan, then."

"I'm sure no one would want to do that."

Hikaru smirked inwardly, despite his dark mood. He contemplated things for a moment. "So, you do think that those people care so much about Touya?"

"I never think you have to ask that question, Shindou," Honda quirked an eyebrow, joining the conversation. "Your case is the most obvious evident, isn't it?"

"Some Go figures said that youngster era without Touya means nothing," Waya made a face at his own words. "As if we were nothing."

"It's not what they mean, Waya," Isumi spoke patiently. "We can't deny that Touya is the one who led to this new era."

"I wonder how much of a ruckus it will make once the news spread to the public," Honda frowned thoughtfully, chopsticks twirled between his fingers. "Touya sure has many fans, doesn't he?"

Hikaru absorbed all of these issues. "Don't you think it's a waste if Touya weren't permitted to play anymore?"

"Many people will think so," Waya tilted his head in a helpless manner. "Though I'm somehow grateful if it happens."

"Waya!" Isumi shrieked in shock, resulted in many heads turning to their direction. "You aren't supposed to say something like that!" The nineteen-years-old Go player lowered his voice in embarrassment, producing something similar to a frustrated hiss.

"Joking, joking," Waya dismissed it with ease.

"Well then, guys," Hikaru spoke slowly, waiting for all attentions to focus on him. "I have an idea."

-

"I don't believe we make it. DON'T believe we make it. I don't believe…"

"Make it stop already, Waya!" Ochi snapped impatiently. Waya glared at the bespectacled pouting boy, but did stop his mumblings.

"Thank you for your participation, minna-san," Hikaru bowed deeply to the anticipating audience in front of him. Isumi, Honda, a reluctant Waya and an obviously forced Ochi followed their leader. The boys were standing in front of many players in the hall. In Hikaru's hand was a big notebook with a light green 'PETITION' stamped on the cover.

"No problem, Shindou-kun," a godan smiled reassuringly at the somewhat nervous bleached-haired teenager. "It's nice to know that we can at least afford to help Touya-kun."

"I don't know whether or not will it work. And if it doesn't, well, I have told you the worst probability," Hikaru stated honestly, unconsciously biting his lower lip. Some nods and hums were addressed to him. "I left it up to you whether or not will you sign this. For those who have agreed, I really do appreciate your willingness to help our… friend… and hopefully this little effort will do." The audience nodded politely, some even clapped their hands in amusement.

Suppressing the urge to laugh at his friend's spontaneous stiff speech, despite his own pit at the stomach, Waya poked his shoulder. "It's time to post it, ne?"

Hikaru nodded and together with his comrades, he headed to the office.

"Petition?" was the greeting they received as Hikaru straightforwardly handed the notebook to an officer. The said officer brought a hand to massage the bridge of his nose.

"From 52 percent of Go players here," Ochi made the point clear.

"And the matter is…?" The officer flipped the petition's cover open and groaned inwardly. Heck, like he hadn't received enough complains this whole week.

"This is our demand regarding the institute's rejection to allow Touya Akira continue his career here," Hikaru stated firmly.

The officer eyed the boys intently—as if supervising their reliability—before letting out an exasperated sigh and saying, "For your information, kids, I'm not the person in charge. Maybe I should introduce you to the person."

The man disappeared into the office room. After one full minute, another man emerged out of the door, holding their petition in his left hand. Hikaru quickly recognized him as the person whom Touya Akiko talked to earlier that week.

"Good afternoon, I'm Yamada Takeshi," the man nodded a bit, causing his wood-framed glasses to reflect the soft white light from the nearest lamp. The teenagers bowed politely in regard. "I believe I'm talking to… mmm, Shindou-shodan, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Hikaru answered collectedly. The man also acknowledged Isumi, Ochi,--and after a while of recalling memories—Waya and Honda.

"We'd better go straightforward," Yamada started, not even bothered to find another place which offered at least some seats. "First to tell, I, as well as my other colleagues, believe that Touya Akira is a capable player, a promising star who still had a long road ahead. It's not that we are reluctant to let him personally play. The problem is that we never encountered such a problem before, where the player isn't able to play by himself and needs another person to—what's the word?—ah, _be his hand. _It will result in some protests, such as 'how if he and his helper were cooperating?' As we all know, cooperation in Go isn't permitted. As much as we want not to waste his talent, the best choice we have so far is to—we don't have any better term—_abandon _Touya Akira from the Go pro world."

The last sentence had apparently gotten on Hikaru's nerves. "_Abandon him?_" He let a dangerously low confirmation out.

"It can't be helped," Yamada tried his best to keep collected. _They are just teenagers. They don't understand the difficulties._

"Can't you just find a reliable person to be his 'hand'?" Isumi asked. "You can find a person who doesn't understand Go. And then you can record his every game, making sure that the helper just moves at his command… or maybe provide a special judge?" The oldest of the five suggested.

"It's too much to concern regarding just one player. Some people may feel like we treat him differently, too specially…"

"He _is _special!" Hikaru cut off without thinking. "Otherwise no one would sign that petition, no one would care to discuss it all week long, and no one would care to even know!"

"W-we can't decide it just yet…" Yamada stammered awkwardly, apparently caught off-guard by the sudden interruption. "If something like this happens again in the future, it will be hard, we'll have to do the same…"

"Then do it!" This time, it was Waya who spoke up. "I wonder what the difficulty is… It's not that we have such case happens once every month. It's just a rare case. I think you most likely do exaggerate this problem, Yamada-san."

The glassed officer frowned disapprovingly at the youngsters before him. "How about what other people would think…?"

Hikaru impatiently snatched the notebook from Yamada's hand and shoved it unceremoniously to the surprised officer's chest. "This _is _what other people think!"

Yamada blinked and coughed twice as he regained his composure, receiving the notebook nonetheless. "I've taken a look at it, it's just…"

"You have not read it carefully, then!" Hikaru tried to remove accusation from his gradually heightened voice. "There's written clearly: 'We who have signed this petition agree to retire from Go pro supremacies if the Go Institute does not allow Touya Akira continue his career in Go pro supremacies in spite of his current condition'!" Hikaru stated in a breath, punctuating every word.

"You can't be serious..."

"Unfortunately, we are," Ochi nudged his glasses a little higher. "I wonder what will happen if half of players here retire at the same time."

"It's good that we are still young. We can pursue another career," Honda chuckled with forced ease, trying to conceal his nervousness.

"You _do _know the risk if we decline your demand, right?" Yamada's eyes narrowed dangerously behind his spectacles.

"We do, and so do the people who signed that petition. We have warned them, yet they still volunteered to fight for Touya!"

"Wah, wah, it seems like we have been gotten ahead over by these children, doesn't it, Ogata?"

All heads turned to the direction of a certain Honinbau Kuwabara, who was chuckling heartily beside a grimacing Ogata-jyuudan. They were walking towards the office. Behind them, there were some important figures of Go world, including Kurata-nanadan and several higher dans, and even Morishita-kyuudan.

"Sensei!" Waya pointed out right after he stood up from bowing to the Go showbiz. "What are you doing here?"

They could say that Morishita-kyuudan's grim expression rivaled Ogata-jyuudan's one very nicely. "What else? Joining my _comrades _to participate in that Touya-kid's case."

If Ogata-jyuudan and Morishita-kyuudan could be called 'grim', then 'dreaded to death' was an understatement concerning Yamada's countenance.

"So, sirs, what brings you here is…"

"… quite obvious," Ogata continued it for the poor officer, while holding out a seemingly exclusive leathery notebook. "Here is our petition as well."

Sighing in defeat, Yamada flipped the new petition. If the higher dans would retire as well, then there was no future for the institute.

"I think… I will discuss it again with my colleagues."

Taking the statement as 'yes', the teenagers and adults beamed in harmony.

-

"Welco—ah, Akira-kun!"

Ichikawa couldn't help but smiled joyfully as the boy on the wheelchair entered the salon. Behind him, handling the wheelchair was Shindou Hikaru.

"Your usual seat is empty, as always! May I take your bags and jackets?"

Hikaru handed the said things to the enthusiastic lady behind the counter and continued to pace their way to the usual seat.

"This is the first time we play each other after… yah, you know," Akira stated matter-of-factly.

Hikaru dragged the chair slightly to the side and positioned his friend so that the Go prodigy could still have a clear view of the goban, even though he was placed a bit behind Hikaru. Hikaru was going to play Akira's part too, so they had to share the same side of the table. Not like Sai who could still pointed with his fan, Akira wasn't practically able to move a single finger. In order to lay the Goishi at the proper position as the greenhead boy wanted, Hikaru couldn't sit across Akira.

So the battle commenced. Akira spotted a point by its coordinate and was fairly impressed seeing Hikaru find out the right location in no time.

_This feeling… _Hikaru closed his eyes while shifting into a more comfortable position in his chair. He picked up a black Goishi and was about to locate it when he halted midstep. _Just like when I play at Sai's command back then. Sai was behind me, spotting a coordinate and I would place the Goishi, pretending it was purely my Go… Truth to be told, it even firstly occurred at the same table._

Watching his rival zoning out, Akira simply asked, "Are you recalling the memory when you were doing an exact thing: playing other player's part?"

This remark was enough to snapped Hikaru out of his trance and caused the bleached-banged teenager to nearly drop the Goishi in his fingers.

"Mmm? What do you mean?" Hikaru didn't have choice other than pretending not to comprehend the suspicion. _How could Touya know, anyway?_

"The first time you played me, exactly at this table, when you couldn't even hold the Goishi properly; your ability surprised me more than a little. It was just like… an invisible pro was standing behind you, telling you where to go," Akira elaborated contemplatively.

Hikaru was appalled, somehow grateful that Akira didn't have the privilege to view a full sight of his face, which now twisted in surprise. Damn Akira for being that perceptive.

"But no… your Go is originally yours. Nothing like that is possible… silly… invisible, unknown pro?" Without even really knowing, the emerald-eyed boy muttered to himself. "Like Sai?"

At this point, Hikaru really did drop his Goishi. _Has Touya learned how to read mind?!_

"Shindou?" Akira asked, mostly out of concern and partially out of suspicion or the other way around, even he couldn't tell. Hikaru picked the Goishi up, closing his eyelids in the process.

"Let's continue our game, Touya," Hikaru took a deep breath as he finally put the dark Goishi on its rightful place on the Goban. _Am I being that obvious?_

"Yes," Akira replied while thinking over his rival's reaction. His remarks surely had hit some objects, however impossible his points might be. "Shindou…"

"You're right…" Hikaru blurted out all of a sudden. "… maybe." Akira's tenseness relaxed again, although out of disappointment. "I will tell you someday."

"I will wait, Shindou," Akira looked at him solemnly. "And by the way, thank you for the petition. And sorry for troubling you to play two players' parts."

Hikaru beamed brightly as he placed another Goishi on the Goban—this time, Akira's part. "Whenever you feel like it, I'll be you hand, Touya."

A/N: Nah, that's it! Again, a huge length of one-shot from me. Now I wish you kind enough to click the review button below. Thank you for reading!


End file.
